King Charles III remains confident in the way he is handling family issues, despite his personal approval rating falling to its lowest level since his accession to the British throne.
A senior Buckingham Palace adviser was asked whether the king and his team believe the chosen approach is the right one, including in view of public perception of the monarchy.
„Yes. That's why he is taking the actions he is taking and has taken so far“, the adviser replied.King's approval rating falls to 58%
According to a YouGov survey, 58% of respondents have a positive opinion of Charles III. This is a drop of 4 percentage points compared to a similar survey in the summer and his weakest result since the beginning of his reign. The share of Britons with a negative opinion of the king is 34%.
The survey was conducted among 2,116 adult residents of the UK on October 22 and 23. Despite the monarch's weaker personal rating, 64% of respondents support the preservation of the monarchy, while 25% prefer the country to have an elected head of state.
The dispute over Harry and Meghan
The decline in approval for Charles came against the backdrop of tensions surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan, who returned to the UK at the end of August. Some commentators have linked the shift in public sentiment to the way the king has managed his relationship with the couple.
Within weeks of their return, a letter approved by Charles III clarified to government officials and other recipients that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were “private citizens”. Harry and Meghan's team said they had been given about an hour's notice of the letter's release and that the pair preferred to be described as “public figures”.
The palace aide stressed that the king is constantly prioritising his various responsibilities.
“Busy people get a lot done. The king juggles his many roles as head of state, head of the church, head of the Commonwealth, commander-in-chief and member of his family. The order of priorities changes depending on the day, and often the hour,“ he said.William and Catherine remain the most popular
Against this background, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, retain their leading positions in public approval among members of the royal family. They have a positive opinion of them, respectively, by 72% and 74% of those surveyed.
Prince Harry and Meghan remain significantly less popular. Harry is expressed positively by 29% of Britons, and Meghan - 20%. The negative opinion of them is respectively 60% and 68%.
Sources: itv.com, independent.co.uk